Church of Christ in Congo – Anglican Community of Congo

The first missionary work of the Anglican Church in Congo started with a Ugandan evangelist who settled in Boga in 1896, in the sub-region of Ituri. After his death in 1933 the church spread through the sub-region of North Kivu. After the independence of Congo in 1960 the Anglican Church experienced a time of great expansion. The first diocese was created in 1972, as part of the Province of Uganda, Rwanda and Boga-Zaïre. The new province was inaugurated in 1992 with the name: Province of the Anglican Church of Congo. It now has seven dioceses. As a member of the Church of Christ in Congo it is known as the Anglican Community. The provincial synod held in 2003 in Bukavu decided the transfer of the headquarters of the province from Bunia to Kinshasa. The new diocese of Kinshasa was inaugurated on 20 December 2003.

The Anglican Church of Congo teaches and confesses the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation. It accepts as norms of the faith the scriptures, the three Catholic Creeds and the Book of Common Prayer. The first priority of the church is evangelization, especially in the western part of the country, e.g. Kinshasa, Lower Congo, Bandundu and also in neighbouring Congo Brazzaville. It is intended to create two new dioceses in the near future, Aru and Kasai. The church is also planning to establish an Anglican Centre in Kinshasa, and to install communication equipment in several dioceses. Other activities are the training of managerial staff and lay people through seminars, Bible schools, etc. Development, health care, and the promotion of peace and reconciliation are among the priorities of the church.

The province of the Anglican Church of Congo is facing many difficulties. Concentrated in the eastern part of the country, it has suffered particularly from the war situation in the Great Lakes region. The many years of violence and mismanagement of the political leaders have impoverished its members. Funds are lacking to pay the clergy and to purchase land and houses which are needed as the church is growing.